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Thanks to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Justice Neil Gorsuch—a self-identified “originalist”—to the Supreme Court, constitutional originalism is yet again at the forefront of American consciousness. Historians would do well to take special notice. Read historian Jonathan Gienapp’s fine analytical account of constitutional originalism ans historians here at the Organization of American Historian’s Process site: Constitutional Originalism and History

One Response to “Constitutional Originalism and History”

I forwarded it to Don. Its right in his wheelhouse, though I imagine he’ll find some major flaw or problem in it. I thought it was really interesting. If Gienapp is right, what is left of conservative readings of the Constitution? His essay implies that there is little historical or now methodological basis for limited interpretations. I doubt that is true, so I’m wondering what another historian in that field might say in response.

Doug Anderson

I am a historian. I am particularly interested in "place," the American West, American Indians, religion, the environment, books and libraries, and Christian theology and spirituality. For more on me, see About. For stuff by me, see Miscellaneous and also my webpage http://douganderson.academia.edu.

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